Spring-hinge



(No Model.) s sham-sheet '1.

JLW. COULTAS.

\ SPRING HINGE. No. 505,193. Patented Sept. 19, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 s-heetsfsheet 2.

J. W.C0ULTAS.'

l SPRING HINGE.

No. 505,193. Patented Sept-19,1893'.

d? Y y l," .1,7

No Model.) e sheets-sheet e.v

J. OULTAS. n

SPRING HINGE. NO. 505,193.

Patented Sept. 19, 1893.

UNTTn TnTns Tries..

PATENT vSPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,193, datedSeptember 19, 1893.

Application tiled August 19, 1892. Serial No. 443,498. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMS W.-COULTAS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Havana, in the county of Mason and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpring-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in spring hinges of that class inwhich the spring is supported by one leaf of a hinge and ap plies itsforce to the other in such a way as to swing it in one direction when itis in certain positions, and to swing it in the opposite direction whenit is in other positions. Hinges of this class are known as reversing orhold back hinges, and the point at which the moving leaf changes itsdirection of motion is known as the dead point of the hinge.

The invention is fully described and explained in this specification andshown in the accompanying drawings; in which- Figure 1 is a rearelevation ofa hinge embodying my invention, the pintle line of the hingebeing in a vertical position, and the two leaves of the hinge being inthe same plane. Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section of the hinge, itsparts being in the saine positions shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similarview of the hinge when fully open. Fig. 4t is a cen.- tral horizontalsection of a modified form of hinge embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is arear elevation of another modification of my hinge, the two leaves beingin the same plane. Fig. 6 is a central horizontal section of the hingeshown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a central horizontal section of anothermodication; and Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the springsupportingleaf and the parts supported thereby, the plane of sectionbeing through the line Fig. 7.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A, A', are two leaves connected by knuckles a, ct,of suitable construction permitting rotation of the leaves withreference to each other through an angle of about one hundred and eightydegrees. The leaf A, is provided at a point between the knuckles with anintegrally formed rod B, parallel to the axis or pintle line of thehinge, but eccentric with reference thereto, its position being betweenthe axis and therear face of the leaf, and being also preferably on theAsame side of the axis "as the leaf itself. The

rod B, is held in place and strengthened by integrally formed braces ofsuitable shape and position, those shown in the drawings being ofdesirable construction. The leaf A', has in its rear face a box-likecavity within which lics a horizontally placed lever D, whose outer endd, is secured in the end of the case, while its inner end is formed intoa hook CZ', engaging a stirrup C", provided at its upper end with a hookC, which engages the rod B, upon the leaf A. Between the lever D, andthe front face of the box, or case, is placed a coiled spring F, soconstructed that when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1and 2, the spring is considerably compressed and exerts a force tendingto press the free end of the lever D, away from the rod B, with which itis connected by means of the stirrup C, and thereby to maintain therelation of the leaves to each other and hold the spring in its closedposition. The swinging of the leaf A, in the direction indicated by thearrow, Fig. 2, still further compresses the spring until the dead pointof the hinge is reached, that is to say, until the leaves reach such aposition that the stirrup, C,the rod B, and the axis ot' the hinge areall in the same plane. After this point is passed, the further swingingof the leaf A, in the direction indicated, decreases the compression ofthe spring, and the force of the spring therefore ten ds to throw theleaf to the position shown in Fig. 3, and to hold the hinge in itscompletely open position. In a hinge of the form shown in the figuresthus described,the spring may evidently be applied at any point betweenthe ends of the lever. The outer end of the lever D, may be secured inthe end of the case in any suitable and desirable manner, but I preferto use the construction shown in Fig. 2, in which the end of the leveris carried through the wall of the case, and formed with a slight bendwhich engages a shoulder onthe case and locks the lever againstlongitudinal movement toward the leaf A.

Fig. 4 shows a hinge in which the fulcrum of the lever is at its center,and the spring is applied to its outer end. In this case, the springmust be placed between the free end of the lever and a suitableprojection on the rear face of the case in substantially the man- IOOner shown in the drawings. Where this form is used, the lever may belocked against longitudinal movement by forming it with a bend, ornotch, at a point where it engages the fulcrum.

rlhe hinge shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is the same as that shown in Fig. l,except that the spring, interposed between the lever and the case, iscoiled in the form of a cone, so that as it is compressed, each coil ofthe spring may lie within the next succeeding larger coil. rPhisconstruction adds very greatly to the range of movement of the springand of that part of the lever to which it is applied, and while notabsolutely essential to the practical operation of the hinge, is amaterial advan-v tage, since it greatly increases the working efficiencyof such a spring as can be placed within the limits of a leaf ofsuitable size and attractive appearance. I have found in practice, thatby the use of this coned form of spring it is possible to get all therange and all the power necessary for a hinge of given size withoutexceeding the usual and ordinary limits of size of the leaves of suchhinges. It is evident that a spring of the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6,can be equally well applied in the position occupied by the spring inthe form shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 7 and S show a hinge similar to those shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 5,and 6, except that a curved bowspring is substituted for the coiledsprings shown in those figures. Its force is exerted in the samedirection as that of the springs shown in those figures, and theoperation of this hinge is the same asthat already explained. 4

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*- l. In a spring hinge, thecombination of two leaves of suitable form connected by knuckles forminga hinge joint, one of said leaves being provided with a rod eccentric tothe axis of the hinge, and the other being formed with a chamber, orcase, a hook engaging said rod and formed with a stirrup, a leverlyingin said chamber and supported by a fulcrum therein and having oneof its ends in engagement with said stirrup, and a spring interposedbetween the wall of said chamber, and a suitable point upon said lever,and exerting its force through said lever upon the rod formed upon theother leaf; substantially as shown and described.

2. In a spring hinge, the combination of two leaves of suitable formconnected by knuckles forming a hinge-joint one of said leaves beingprovided with a rod eccentric to the axis of the hinge, and the otherbeing formed with a chamber or case, a hook engaging said rod and formedwith a stirrup, a lever lying in said chamber, and supported by afulcrum therein and having one of its ends in engagement with saidstirrup, and a coiled spring interposed between the Wall of saidchamber, and a suitable point upon said lever, and adapted to becompressed by the swinging of the leaves of the hinge from theircompletely closed position; substantially as shown and described.

3. In a spring hinge, the combination of two leaves of suitable formconnected by knuckles forming a hinge joint, ore of said leaves beingprovided with a rod eccentric to the axis of the hinge, and the otherbeing formed with a chamber, a hook engaging said rod and formed with astirrup, a lever lying in said chamber and supported bya fulcrumtherein, and having one of its ends in engagement with said stirrup, anda coiled spring interposed between the wall of said chamber and asuitable point upon said lever and adapted to be compressed as the hingeis opened, the successive coils of said spring being of increasingdiameter from one end of the spring toward the other whereby as thespring is compressed, each coil may lie within the one next succeedingit; substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the leaves A, A', formed and connectedsubstantially as described, the stirrup C, C', engaging the rod B, uponthe leaf A, the lever D, lying within the chamber in the leaf A', andhaving its inner end in engagement with said stirrup and its outer endprovided with a bend engaging the Wall of the chamber, and a spring F,interposed between the lever and the wall of the chamber and operatingsubstantially as described.

JAMES W. COUL'IAS.

l/Vitnesses:

R. H. WrLEs, A. I. H. EBBESEN.

